BXBX NOVEL Chapter 164 - 164
"I can\'t confirm or deny that without knowing how you collect shiny things." Cain jokes, making the Dragons laugh.
"It seems the Guardian Dragons don\'t feel that you\'re a threat, so if your group can just sign in, I will welcome you to the Port City of Assad, home to white sand beaches, an exquisite class skill library, and the largest deep water Port East of the mountains." Earl RhickJaymz finally says, motioning an assistant forwards with the sign in book from the landing area.
They all sign in quickly before the Earl speaks again. "Where did you come from? Your fashion is unfamiliar, but yet, I feel as if I\'ve seen it before."
"We came from Montauk, the Exit City at the north of Beginner\'s Valley, but we made a short stop over in Underwood, the Dark Elven city to update our wardrobes." Cain replies, giving his companions a pointed look to keep up the story and not reveal that they found one of the Lost Cities.
"It\'s a bit outdated, but that\'s definitely a Dark Elven suit. Now I see it. That\'s not something I come across every day. The Gnomish Leather on the Beast Lord Kone we see more often. Who might the final transfer in the group be?"
"Misha, a Dark Apostle. It is a pleasure to meet you." She smiles at RhickJaymz who gives her a wink.
"Now I understand the Guild Name. Light Fae and Dark Apostles, with a mixed army of summons. Darklight Host. Good choice."
Another assistant has just arrived with a book in hand, open to a particular page to show the Earl. Looking down at it, Cain can see its a description of his class, RhickJaymz must have sent someone to get information on what a Puppet Master could do. Either he\'s really diligent about his safety, or he\'s going to be trouble sooner than later.
RhickJaymz looks it over and nods few times before looking back up at them. "With all the sailors, we get a lot of incognito Second Advancement classes and high level visitors. Everyone who enters the city gets power ranked by an artifact, but for classes like ours, they can be deceptive, because we can call multiple summons. I just had to delay you a little until I could verify you wouldn\'t be able to actually level the city alone."
"The orb that everyone places their hand on as they walk in is the power level ranking artifact. Anyone who rates over a 5.0 out of 10 for level 200 gets a red bracelet that lets the guards know they\'re a high level visitor." The Black Dragon elaborates, making Laura look at Cain with concern and excitement at the same time.
"Yes, Opal Dragon, you can get a ranking too." The Black Dragon laughs, not fully understanding Laura\'s concern. Cain releases all but one Oath Breaker from his Merger, dismissing them. He can call them back with a thought if he\'s in trouble, but keeping one with him at all times should prevent him from being seen as a weakling who relies on his summons.
"We will ask that the Dragons either transform before entering the city or return to the resting area, space is limited in the streets. Even my two beloved friends live at the city walls." The Earl explains and Cain nods before Danni transforms, becoming a tall and slender man with shocking white hair and pointed ears with ridges at the back that somewhat resemble his wings. Wearing a medium Grey suit with an Ice white shirt and carrying a walking cane, he looks like a perfect noble gentleman.
"Oh very nice." The Red Dragon says, becoming a stocky man with a flushed looking skin tone as if he were constantly sunburnt. Standing about Cain\'s height, he is taller than average but a bit shorter than Danni. He\'s wearing blue jeans and a black shirt with short spiky red hair the color of his scales. The black transforms into a short woman with thick thighs and a heavy chest, her skin and hair the same deep black gloss as her scales, hair braided and hanging to her waist. She\'s the more formal of the two, picking a green evening gown for her human form.
"Now they\'re all just showing off. I don\'t know how you deal with having more than two around at a time, Dragons are a handful." RhickJaymz says ruefully as his Dragons have already started wandering towards the gates along with Danni and Laura to check their power. They\'re discussing local cuisine, so Cain fully expects them to do their own thing for most of the day.
"Just let it go man. They\'re Dragons, not Golems. If you just let them do their own thing, except when you really need them it\'s much less stressful than trying to force them to do things they don\'t really feel like." Cain shrugs and Su laughs.
"If you didn\'t know his companions were Summoned, you\'d think they were just Guild Members. Most everyone thought they were transfers anyhow." Su laughs, making Kone giggle.
"They don\'t even bring him along to do dungeons most of the time, just deciding between themselves what they want to do for the day." Kone jokes and Vala sticks her tongue out at her.
"Just remember, if they\'re in trouble, you\'re in trouble. But they seem pretty well behaved. Other than the two that stole my Dragons. Seriously, how did they even do that? Summons are supposed to be attached and loyal to their Summoner." The local noble complains.
"They\'re loyal. If you order them they\'ll come back right away. But they\'ll complain about the fun you made them miss out on. That\'s how Dragons are, as far as I know. Just scratch their head behind the horns, it puts them in a much better mood."
They\'ve made it to the lineup for the city gates, which is parting in front of them, many bowing respectfully to the Earl, who waves back, greeting many who he knows personally. He seems to be well liked, but Cain is still getting dirty looks from most of the men, and a lot of the women are making a point to pose as they approach, even taking off layers of their light but covering clothing intended to protect from the sun.
"Shameless I tell you." Misha mutters, moving closer to Cain, staking her claim. It doesn\'t seem that the women are deterred though, even Danni, escorted by Laura and the local Dragons isn\'t immune to their advances. Laura got one single fellow being overly friendly with her, but the threat of Ice Fog breath she gave off deterred him, and anyone else, from flirting with her.
"You get used to it. There are a lot more women in town than men, because of the dangers of a life at sea, or adventuring in the desert. Quite a few dungeons exist within a half day of here, if you\'re staying a while, and the class book said you can gain new Summon Forms by defeating opponents, so you might find the variety to be beneficial." RhickJaymz brushes off the wealth of attention they\'re receiving.
"Next group." The gate guard calls and the Dragons step forward. He looks momentarily confused, then recognizes the Earl\'s Dragons in their human forms.
"Welcome. Who all will we be testing today boss? Everyone or just the transfers?" The guard asks.
"Me first." Laura says, fluttering her wings in excitement and then man motions towards the device, which up close looks more like a metallic half orb in the middle of a silver platform than the crystal ball Cain first thought it to be.
Laura waves her hand as she flies over the device and a set of numbers lights up on the guard\'s side of the device. "Average strength equivalent at level 165. The device factors in your true level, abilities, bonuses, gear and skills to come up with an equivalent based on the average first advancement transfer in rare grade gear. See, these numbers here are your level, your total stats and the modifiers it applied to come up with the final score. Most of your extra levels equivalent comes from your durability and a surprisingly high damage output."
That\'s not surprising to Cain, she is merged with her clone, gaining additional Stat points after all.
Laura isn\'t sure yet whether that is good or bad, having gone first. It\'s still almost sixty levels higher than her actual level though, so she\'s a bit happy. Nemu, Nila and Vala go next, all getting identical scores, being merged with their clones, under the effects of the same abilities and created by the same spell. This makes Laura much happier, she\'s no weaker than the others, despite looking younger.
Next up is Su. "Average strength equivalent at level 161. Very impressive little Nymph." The guard commends her.
"That\'s actually a transformed Forest Dragon." Kone laughs, getting her own reading, which comes out somewhat lower than her Dragon at level 141. The guard looks shocked, first at her words, then at her relative strength compared to her true level.
Misha goes up without great hopes, after all, she\'s not under any significant buffs, like Appointed Companion, and most transfers over level 100 have an Advanced Class.
"Average Strength Equivalent at level 119." The guard nods, having expected a more normal score to come along eventually, even among this group, whose scores say they\'re very well geared.
"Alright Danni, you\'re up. Let\'s see the difference Between Epic and Legendary." Cain says and the dapper Dragon passes his hand over the device.
"Average strength equivalent at level 194." The guard says deadpan, looking at the level 106 true level listed next to the power rating calculation on the display.
"You guys are seriously overpowered, you know that, right?" RhickJaymz laughs, patting Cain on the back.
"You\'re last, no sneaking around the reading for you my friend."
Well, it\'s the moment of truth, how much will that device be able to calculate. If it can calculate the maximum possible damage output of all his summons if they were merged with him, or the maximum possible damage output of [Might of Many] then this score is going to be positively ridiculous. If it only calculates his current personal strength and doesn\'t include his summons he should be right by the borderline for level 200.
The fact it includes skills and gear into the calculation might be bothersome though, he just learned a whole Dark Elven combat art, he previously unlocked the hidden skill of [Lesser Demon Army] and he\'s got some pretty good gear on.
Cain passes his hand over the device and it turns bright red, likely the warning that he breached the level 200 equivalent average.
"Well, that will be a bracelet for sure. Bit surprising at level 106, but it must rate some of your skills as extremely powerful. The device uses the system to calculate, and you know how unfathomable it can be." RhickJaymz shrugs.
"Well, what\'s the verdict?" Cain asks the Guard, who frowns at his machine.
"Average strength equivalent at level 231 and a bit. Boss, I think he might have glitched the device, look at the modifier for stats." The guard says.
"I see, your total Stat points should currently be around 1000, unmodified. Wait, that can\'t be right, I\'ve barely got a thousand Stat points. It must be Calculating them based on a skill modifier, and then adding in the calculation for skills on top. Either way, you\'ve got two Dragons at level 194 equivalent, and four other Companions at level 165 equivalent. I would say that\'s over level 200 without counting yourself, no matter what it comes up with."
The guard hands everyone a metal slip with their name and power level on it, before motioning for Cain to extend his wrist. The Red metallic bracelet simply reads "Cain 231" and forms into a smooth loop once closed.
"If you\'re looking to join groups that power check, just show them your city entry token. If a guard asks for your passes, please show it to them. It\'s also an offense to take off the red bracelet within the city. They\'re easy to break for anyone who needs to wear one, but shouldn\'t be damaged by anything else short of combat. If you need a new one, just ask on the way in the gate.." The guard gives a well practiced lecture before motioning them away so the next group in line, a group of merchants on Camels that just arrived, can enter to be checked.